EPA’s primary consideration for determining the approvability of Florida’s request to remove the existing sulfur storage and handling facilities rules, 62-212.600, F.A.C. and 62-296.411, F.A.C., from the SIP is whether these requested actions comply with section 110(l) of the CAA. Under Section 110(l), EPA cannot approve a SIP revision if that revision would interfere with any applicable requirement regarding attainment, reasonable further progress (RFP), or any other applicable requirement established in the CAA. EPA will approve a SIP revision that removes or modifies control measures in the SIP only after the state makes a “noninterference” demonstration that such a removal or modification will not interfere with RFP, attainment or maintenance of any NAAQS, or any other CAA requirement. As such, Florida must make a demonstration of noninterference in order to remove the sulfur storage and handling facilities requirements from its SIP.

Because actual emissions are not expected to change, there will be no impact on PSD increments, RFP, visibility, attainment or maintenance of any NAAQS, or any other applicable CAA requirement. Particulate matter, in the form of coarse (PM ₁₀) and fine (PM _2.5) PM, is the pollutant related to the SIP revision. On January 15, 2013 (78 FR 3086), EPA established an annual primary PM _2.5 NAAQS at 12.0 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m ^[3] ) based on a 3-year average of annual mean PM _2.5 concentrations. At that time, EPA retained the 2006 24-hour PM _2.5 NAAQS at 35 μg/m ^[3] based on a 3-year average of the 98th percentile of 24-hour concentrations.Show citation box

All areas in the State are currently designated as attainment for the PM ₁₀ and PM _2.5 NAAQS. For example, Table 1 identifies the PM _2.5annual and 24-hour design values for the counties where facilities subject to the repealed sulfur storage and handling rules are located and demonstrates that these design values are well below the respective NAAQS.